1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to a device for providing an infrared source which will decoy an infrared-seeking missile and, more particularly, to such devices which incorporate gelled hydrocarbons as fuel.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Anti-aircraft missiles having guidance systems commonly are designed to home on infrared energy generated by a turbojet engine tailpipe or exhaust plume. Such missiles are sensitive to infrared energy in precise preselected wavelengths which are generated by the hot tailpipe or exhaust plume. Such missiles are commonly countermeasured by launching a high temperature source from the aircraft which will generate infrared energy in that portion of the spectrum to which the missile is sensitive. The missile then breaks lock from the aircraft and locks in on the decoy infrared source and permits the aircraft to escape.
Such infrared sources have comprised bore safe flares, which ignite and burn at a very high temperature, and apparatus aboard the aircarft which mixes a liquid fuel with an oxidizer in a predetermined ratio and expels and ignited periodic quanta of the mixture to create a plurality of burning fuel clouds each of which produces infrared energy in the approximate wavelengths as does the aircraft tailpipe or exhaust plume.
Previous decoy flare systems have required modification to aircraft structure for attachment, and may require the handling of bulk fuel to recharge them. Once loaded, elaborate system purging procedures may be required to change the character of fuel within the system storage tank. Flares which utilize solid fuel will often burn at a higher temperature and, therefore, produce a different spectral signature than that produced by the tailpipe or exhaust plume of a turbojet engine.